Transmission-gearing.



G. A. MCKIEARNAN- TRANSMISSION GEARING.

APPLIGATIONSIILED AUG.13, 190s.

Patented June '7, 1910.

3 BHEETS-TSHEET l.

. IAN 5 0? 6]] rules A- M XLeQJWwn-J ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

ANDREW B. GRANAM 00., PHOTO-LITKOGRAPHERS WAS mN, ac

C. A. MGK'IEARNAN' TRANSMISSION GEARING,

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1908.

Patented June 7, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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G. A. McKIEARNAN.

TRANSMISSION GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1908.

Patented June 7, 1910.

SSHEETS-fiHEET 3.

93 9 3z 6 u T 6 73 1 455! 0 L9 1 my 7 E 3 //X s CHARLES A. MGKIEARNAN, 0F CARTI-IAGE, MISSOURI.

TRANSMISSION-GEARING.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Mo- KIEARNAN, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission-Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a transmission mechanism for motor vehicles and the like wherein a series of variable speed gear mechanisms are employed and an explosive engine cooperating there with to drive the vehicle, the explosive engine having timing devices for controlling the speed of operation thereof.

My invention also embodies a series of lever mechanisms for bringing the gear mechanisms into and out of operative relation and simultaneously controlling the timing devices of the engine to change the speed thereof, and a single control lever for operating the actuating levers to set any of the gear mechanisms into operative relation as may be desired and simultaneously control the speed of the engine.

More specifically my invention embodies a transmission gear mechanism coupled with the engine shaft and embodying a forward high speed gear, a forward slow speed gear and a reverse gear mechanism, said gear mechanisms including shiftable gears and clutches and a series of levers for actuating said shiftable gears and clutches together with a manually controlled operating lever cooperatively connected with the actuating levers for moving the same to actuate their respective clutch or gear shifting means so that the entire gear mechanism of a motor vehicle may be controlled by a single lever.

The essence of my invention is the provision of a single lever for controlling the operation of the gear mechanisms.

More specifically my invention embodies those novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts all of which will be first described in detail, then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1, isa plan view of my invention, the explosive engine being indicated together with a portion of the frame of a motor vehicle. Fig. 2, is a section on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 13, 1908.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Serial No. 448,282.

line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 8, 4, 5 and 6, are detail views of portions of the actuating le-. vers. Fig. 7, is a detail perspective view of the control lever and its rack. Figs. 8, 9 and 10, are detail views showing the parts in various positions. Fig. 11, a horizontal section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 12, is a detail section showing the modified form of band clutch mechanism.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, l designates the frame of a motor vehicle and 2, the rear axle thereof, which carries the running wheels, (not shown) and the sprocket 2*, around Which the drive chain 3 passes.

4 represents an explosive engine of any approved type, which may be located in any position on the motor vehicle frame, either to lie under the seat or in the tonneau, or in any other convenient position, as the position of the engine 1 forms no part of my present invention. The engine 4 has its drive or crank shaft 5 extended to pass through bearings 5 -5 in the frame 1 and upon the shaft. 5 is a sleeve 6, which carries a small pinion 6 a large pinion 6 and a grooved clutch member 6, the sleeve 6 with its gears and clutch member being shiftable on the shaft 5 and keyed to turn therewith, see Fig. 1. The sleeve 6 with its gears (S -6* and its clutch member 6 will be hereinafter termed the double shiftable gear member. 7 designates another sleeve on the shaft 5, loosely mounted thereon, so as to be susceptible of being turned independently of the shaft 5 and the sleeve 7 carries a master gear 7 and a friction clutch 7 which has a grooved portion 7 for a purpose presently to appear, the friction clutch 7 cooperating with the friction surface 8 of the sprocket clutch 8 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 5 and around which the endless chain 3 passes. The sprocket clutch 8 has a second clutch face 8 that coiiperates with the friction clutch 9 that is keyed to turn with the shaft 5 but is slidable thereon, the clutch 9 having a clutch surface 9 to cooperate with the sprocket clutch S and a grooved portion 9 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

1O designates a pivot upon which a series able gear member and uponmovement ofv shifted longitudinally, on the shaft 5. The

gears T and 19 are always in mesh as the sleeve 7 does not shift on the shaft 5. The lever 12 carries a clutch fork 12 that projects into the groove 6 of,'the double shiftthe lever 12 the double shiftable gear will be shifted longitudinally on the shaft 5. The lever 13 is Connected to a rod 13 that, passes through bearings 13 and carries a the clutch 9 so that when. the lever 13 is operated the clutch 9 will be actuated thereby.

The lever 14 connects through a rod 14 with a bell crank lever 14 that in turn connects through a rod 15. with the timing device 15 whereby the movement of the lever 14 will actuate the timing device 15 accordingly. The timing. device 15 may be ofjanyapproved construction, as the same, per 86, forms no part of my present invention.

16 designates a counter-shaft mounted in bearings 16 'and; carrying a master gearl-T, an intermediate gear 18 and a smaller gear 19, the gears 17, 18 and 19 being keyed in a fixed position on the countershaft 16 to rotate therewith. The gears 17' and 18 cooperate respectivel with the gears ti -6 of the double shiftable gear member, the gear 17 being-cooperatively connected at times with the gear 6 through a counterpinion 20 for a purpose presently to appear.

Each; of the levers 11-, 12, 13 and14have projections 11*, 12 13 and-14 at their for ward ends that pass between spacingbars 21 in a bearing 21 and spacing washers 22, are interposed at the pivot 10, as indicated in Fig. 2.- Each ofthe levers 11, 12, 13' and 14 is provided at their forward ends with slots 11 12', 13 and 14 the slots being so designed that the proper motion will be imparted to the levers 11, 12, 13' and 14 to actuate their respective clutch or gear members, and the levers actuated through the medium of a control lever 23 that is fulcrumed at 23* to the steering post 25, or'any other suitable part of the vehicle, and the lever 23 has its lower end 23 projecting through the slots 11*, 12 13 and 14 of the levers ll, 12, 13 and 14, respectively. A

rack 24 cooperates with the lever23and a N receive the pawl 23*, the notches designating Reverse Out of gear, Slow speed position shown in Fig. 1, with the lever 23 set in the outof gear notch 24 of the rack 24, then all of the gears and clutches will be operatively' disconnected. Now, supposing the operator desires to reverse his machine, it is only necessary to movethe-le ver 23 until the pawl 23 rests in the reverse notch 24 of the rack 24, when the portion 23 of the lever 23.will. be at the ex,- treme rearward limit, of the slots 11*, 12 13? and 14 of tllfllevers 11,12, 13 and 14 respectively. At, this. timethe parts will, be in the-positions'hown in Fig. 10, ofthe drawings, with the gears 6 and 17 in mesh and the gears 79 and 19inmesh, while the clutch 7 will be in engagement with the sprocket clutch 8? and cause the sprocketv clutch 8 to, rotate with the sleeve 7 Assuming the engine 4 to be rotatingv in a, counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 1, the motion thereof" will be imparted, to the shaft 16 to cause it to rotate in the same direction but at a slower speed; As. the gears 19' and, 7 are in mesh, the sleeve 7 will be rotated on. the

shaft 5 in a direction opposite to. the. ro-

tation of the shaft 16, thereby causing the V sprocket chain 3 to be moved in the direction of the arrow-in Fig. 10 and impart a reverse motion; to the shaft of the motor vehicle. Now assume that it is, desired, to run the vehicle at a slow forward speed, the operator m Ves the lever 23 with the pawl 23 into the notch 24 of the rack 24 when the end'23 of the lever 23 will be aboutmid-way the ends of the slots of the levers 11,12, 13and14, as shownin Fig. 9 of the drawings, andwhenthe partsare in this position the gears 7 a and l9are in mesh (the gears 7 a and 19being always in mesh),

the clutch 7 andsprocket clutch8 are engaged, andthegears 6 and 18 are in mesh, thus'as the shaft 5 rotates in the direction of'the arrow in Fig. 9, the motion thereof will be'imparted to the shaft. 16.. to cause it to rotate in a direction reverse to that of the shaft 5, andhence. the sleeve 7 will rotate in the same direction as the shaft 5,

but at a slower speed, thus imparting a; mo-' :tion to the sprocket 3 in the direction, of: the arrow in Fig. 9, at aslower'speed. Now assume that'it is desired toy drive the vehicle at. a fastyor high speed forward, th e'op-' erator continuesvto move the lever 2,3.until the pawl 23 is in one of the notches 24. of the rack :2,4, at which time the parts. will be in the positionshownin Fig. 8,: with the double shiftable gear 'out of operative action, aswellasthe clutch 7 Atthis time also the clutch 9 will be in engagement with the sprocket clutch 8 and the same will be directly connected with the drive shaft 5 of the engine 4 and turn the sprocket clutch forwardly at the same speed as that of the engine, or in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8. A further forward movement of the lever 23 from the first notch 24 to the last, so as to bring the lever 28 to the extreme forward limit of the slots in the levers 11, 12, 13 and 14 simply causes the lever 14 to continue to shift the timing device 15 and speed up the engine.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a modified construction of clutch in which the sprocket gear is secured to two clutch rims 28 one'of which incloses a clutch ring 28 of the split ring type, that is actuated by the cam 33 having a lever 23 that is actuated by the clutch 30 that corresponds with the clutch 7 in Fig. 11 of the drawings. The clutch 30 is shiftable on the sleeve 80 and the sleeve 80 carries a gear 7 as before. The other clutch rim 28 receives a split ring 28 that cooperates with a cam 34 having a lever portion 32 that is actuated by the bevel face 29 of the shifting clutch 29 to receive the fork 13 of the clutch shifting mechanism. The shifting clutch 29 is shiftable on the sleeve 29 that is keyed to the shaft 5 and the shifting clutch 29 corresponds with the shifting clutch 9, see Fig. 11.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is thought the complete construction, operation and numerous advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the inven tion appertains, and I desire to say that my gear transmission mechanism may be used not only on motor vehicles but with any type of machinery where reversing and variable speed gearing is required. It is also to be noted that at each movement of the controlling lever the speed of the engine is changed to conform to the requirements at that particular time. In other words when out of gear the engine must necessarily run very slowly, but the very preparation to throw it into gear for any speed brings the engine up to a working capacity or vice versa. This is done through the shifting of the timing devices.

It will be also apparent that changes in the details of construction, and design of parts, may be readily made without departing from the essence and spirit of my invention, which resides in providing a single operating lever for operating the actuating levers to shift the gears in proper cooperative relations.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. Variable speed transmission gearing including a plurality of shiftable gear members, a plurality of levers directly engaging said shiftable members to shift the same, combined with a single control lever successively engaging all of said shiftable lovers to operate the same, means for pivoting said control lever to be movable in but a single plane, and said plurality of levers each having means to be engaged by said control lever by virtue of which the movement of said control lever will cause said plurality of levers to be actuated.

2. In a transmission gearing, a plurality of shiftable gears, a plurality of shifting levers for shifting said gears, a single control lever engaging all of said shiftable levers, said shiftable levers each having portions to be simultaneously engaged by said control lever to operate all of said shifting levers, and means limiting the movement of said control lever to a single plane.

3. A drive shaft and a driven shaft, gear connections therebetween, said gear connections comprising a double shiftable gear carried by and rotatable with the drive shaft, a countershaft, a pair of gears carried by said countershaft to cooperate with said double shiftable gear member, a shiftable clutch and a gear member therefor, a gear carried by the countershaft to cooperate with said shiftable clutch gear member, a sprocket clutch to cooperate with said shiftable clutch and cooperatively connected with said driven shaft, lever mechanisms for operating said double shiftable gear, and said shiftable clutch and a single control lever for operating said actuating lever mechanisms.

4. A drive shaft and a driven shaft, gear connections therebetween, said gear connections comprising a double shiftable gear carried by and rotatable with the drive shaft, a countershaft, a pair of gears carried by said countershaft to cooperate with said double shiftable gear member, a shiftable clutch and a gear member therefor, a gear carried by the countershaft to cooperate with said shiftable clutch gear member, a sprocket clutch to cooperate with said shiftable clutch and cooperatively connected with said driven shaft, lever mechanisms for operating said double shiftable gear and said shiftable clutch, a single control lever for operating said actuating mechanisms, and an idler pinion cooperating with one of the gears of said double shiftable gear member and one of said countershaft gears.

5. A drive shaft and a driven shaft, and variable speed gear connections between said shafts, said connections including shiftable gear members, lever mechanisms for operating said shiftable gear members, each of said lever mechanisms having slots, and a single control lever having a portion projecting into said slots for operating said actuating levers, and means for pivoting said control-lever to be pivotallymovablo in but a, lvers; gears shift-ab1e-by si-id shifting-levers single plane. and means limiting the movementof said 6. In a transmission. gearing, a plurality control lover'to asingle plane.

of slotted shifting:- levers having a common Y CHARLES- MCKIEARNAN. 5 pivot, a sing-lecontr-ol lever having apor- I Witnesses-z v 7 tion projected intothe slots of allofsaid THOMAS-E. GRA-Yz,

slotted levens to operate all? of said slotted J. L. H-AINES; 

